Such Presumption
by persephonevii
Summary: The silver haired ones differing opinions on family, life and themselves.
1. Sephiroth

Title: Such Presumption

Rating: G

Category: General/Drama

Summary: Sephiroth reflects on Nibelheim, Mother and that other avowed enemy; Aeris.

* * *

Such Presumption

I do not see my 'fall' as 'tragic' as so many are wont to do. Tragic perhaps for my old masters, for Hojo and for the rest of SOLDIER.

But now I walk hand-in-hand with Mother to Paradise, to the Promised Land.

My 'awakening' as I prefer to call those events at Nibelheim, whilst ultimately purifying, were nonetheless painful. I suppose all birth is painful. I admit though to perhaps misjudging those humans. I did not think that little chocobo puff, his whore and Zack could of given me much trouble. But they gave me so much trouble that it almost knocked the path to Paradise out of our hands. Even upon surviving my fall into the mako, our plans were setback several years.

Mother, unsurprisingly, was not pleased but I feel she simply must concede to the point about Lifestream benefits. Had I not traversed the Lifestream for those years, absorbing all I could... maybe the path would of been much more difficult to walk upon.

However, Mother despite her great age, is ever impatient and still feels we lost valuable time back at Nibelheim. (Maybe it is just a trait of the old. Accumulate enough years and you'll start going to stone... oh, I do apologize Mother.)

Slaughtering President Shin-Ra has been a recent highlight. Or should I say washing clean that particular piece of gunk off the Planet? I daresay at times he was even worst than Hojo (look Daddy, I can compliment people... even _you_). If I really bother I can almost squeeze out some sympathy for his son. Almost. Shame about the whole being-a-human part.

As of right now, I spy something irritating to say the least. No, not the Puppet. Rather another slum whore the Puppet's acquired. Or did she acquire him? Trading yourself in for some protection does smell greatly of Don Corneo and his girls. Aeris is her name and apparent claim to fame is being of the... Cetra. One of us!? Silly proud girl, although right now I can see the Puppet's jaw dropping, believing everything she says. I have to say she is quite the epitome of sincerity and candy-cane sweetness. Poor Puppet never stood a chance. He is so easily impressed. I remember that same jaw hitting the ground every time I so much as waved the Masamune around, and spiked a baby viper or two on it.

Clearly she's a liar. I know Mother and I are the only remaining Cetra left. To think that this slum rat would aspire to the path made for us only, the Cetra? Such presumption... pride always comes before the fall, as Mother has said.


	2. Jenova

Title: Such Presumption

Rating: G

Category: Humour/Drama

Summary: Jenova lectures Sephiroth on the dangers of arrogance and knocking her age.

* * *

I have to say son that your killing of the fake Cetra was really quite arty. Normally I would of just strangled or poisoned her myself, but such a delight to see that fabulous sliver of metal slide through her body like butter. And the look on the Puppet's face! However, one piece of critique. 

You should of made it painful. She still had a grin plastered on her face when she died, it was far too quick, far too quick. I know you love to save the sadism for the Puppet, but couldn't you of at least of extended it to her? Even for a little bit?

But now my son we come to a crucial point in our plans. Meteor looms ever so close now and Holy struggles to rouse. It is almost the end, I can even smell it! However, the Puppet approaches with his motley crew. We must be careful, the Puppet and his whore breathe vengeance as humans breath air, and thus it is the utmost concern that you do not let your arrogance take hold of you again.

My son, despite your less that complimentary references to my age, I have seen and heard things you could hardly imagine. I have decimated planets before but they were riddled with weak and lesser life-forms. Life-forms that were mere child's game to us. Life-forms that were not so sufficient in bearing our power and influence, they collapsed all too quickly once they reached a new world. So I began to search for a challenge and for more breathing space so to speak. I found Gaia and its humans, at first I delighted in this challenge. Killing them with such ease, or simply sending them mad. Us, Cetra were simply too strong, too powerful, too great!

Until, like you, my arrogance tore me down and had me sealed away by those wretched humans for eons until their silly descendants unwittingly raised me to the surface again. I waited for my proper chance to begin my revenge as I was greatly weakened by my entombment. My, or rather should I say, our chance came again through you. You were brought into this world and I watched you grow, spoke in your dreams and was ever so proud of your strength and progress. You would of done your ancestors proud.

So I speak to you as one gifted in the ways of destruction... and renewal, that arrogance will and has cost you dearly. Do not try to justify Nibelheim with 'well, we learnt so much in the Lifestream, Mummy, than if we had simply stayed alive' excuse. I know arrogance as well as I know these humans and this planet. Almost all planets are the same, all the same weak areas. I could of easily told you then what to do and how to do it.

But I forgive you. You are young and compared to me, quite impulsive. This is your first time and understandably you are quite excited. But please, my son, calm down and listen to me. Do not underestimate the Puppet or his little friends, do not underestimate Shin-Ra either. And please, do not underestimate my wrath if you keep on making up crude jokes about my age!


	3. Kadaj

Title: Such Presumption

Rating: G

Category: Humour/Drama

Summary: Kadaj expounds bitterly on having a big brother like Sephiroth. Coming up... Yazoo!

* * *

Sephiroth! The first, the greatest, the magnificient! I know, I know! 

I can always feel him lurking around in my head like some wraith. A horrid wraith that taunts and teases. _Mother always loved me best, Kadaji-poo!_ Yazoo understands. Loz does not. Despite being the eldest, he is really like the youngest. He cries, chucks tantrums and just does not understand. He feels Sephiroth too. We all do. But Sephiroth never taunts him, never gives him nightmares. Never laughs at him. Perhaps in that man's perfect little heart he sees Loz is really a child, and children aren't terribly threatening. I should know, I have several hundred standing in front of me. They chatter, babble on excitedly. Sometimes Loz will play with him. Yazoo will throw them a reassuring word or a pat on the head.

Personally, I can't stand them. They are only here because they are so gullible and so easy to control. They will bring me back to Mother. Mother calls me too, but her words are soft and gentle. Full of sweet promises and encouragement. But I daren't say a word against her Golden Boy, I can only imagine her wrath if I so much as tainted the tiniest piece of Sephiroth's supposed perfection. But where is Sephiroth? Where is he? If he is so perfect and special and just damn wonderful... then why the hell isn't he standing next to us!?

I asked Mother that once, but only in the most polite terms. She told me that Sephiroth is coming, but like her, he is terribly weakened and needs our help to return. Our help...? I have heard fantastical stories of this man from the children and from some adults. He was the greatest warrior, he rose from the dead once, he razed a village to the ground in only a few minutes. I just find it hard to believe that he has become so weak that he needs 'pathetic' 'stupid' 'whiny' little brother to help him. I doubt I will ever get any thanks when he finally comes back.

Once I stood before a hooded man. The last scion of the House of Shin-Ra. Like Sephiroth he was greatly weakened, like Sephiroth he was cold and probably full of taunts too but never like Sephiroth when I threw those ID cards towards him. The cards telling him exactly what I did to his precious guardians. His voice took on an edge of anger, his knuckles turned white and if I could see his blue eyes properly I bet they would of been truly icy to behold.

I can only dream of Sephiroth showing even a tenth of that protective anger if our blood was splattered on cards and chucked towards him. What will become of us when he does return? Shall we be obsolete? I never admit this, not even to Yazoo, but I sense we shall be made redunant in Sephiroth's wake. I fear and hate it, but Mother, beautiful Mother asks and I simply must yield. Even if her requests bring about our deaths, Mother will always come first.


	4. Loz

Title: Such Presumption

Rating: G

Category: Humour/Drama

Summary: Loz dreams about dearest Mummy's return and thinks Kadaj is too crazy to be a good leader. In the near future... Yazoo.

Author's Note: So it's not Yazoo as I promised. Or promised soon. I'm sorry about that, but Yazoo was surprisingly was a bitch to write for. So I decided to write for Loz instead.

Anyway I promised another chapter soon and I didn't deliver. I'm sorry. Firstly, I got lazy and annoyed over the lack of fun when writing for Yazoo. Secondly, for some bizarre reasons my office is a hip place to be if your snake. So much to my horror I discovered a snake slithering around in the office! Obviously such events forced me to abandon both room and story until I felt it was minimally safe to return. I still don't know where the snake is... but since I didn't want to abandon this story I came back to finish it off.

* * *

"So what about your Mummy?"

"My Mummy's dead. She died a long time ago."

I hear that all the time. Everyone here wants their Mummy or Daddy. But at least _my_ Mummy will come back to me. I can't help but gloat over these unlucky kids. _Mother will come back_. The thought of it thrills me. She will come back and everything will be good again. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but Kadaj tells me there will be no more fighting, no more Geostigma and no more stupid humans.

But I don't think humans are all that bad. The kids are lots of fun. Maybe it is the adults? I know the dark-haired woman almost had me beaten! But Kadaj tells me don't be so trusting and stupid- 'We are Cetra, they are human! They destroyed us almost to extinction a long time ago, and now it is time for our revenge and to take back our birthright... the Planet!'

I am told I am the eldest, but even I doubt that. I think Kadaj is, or maybe Yazoo? Yazoo always seems so calm and collected. He always knows what to say to make things better... he's like Mother in that respect. She always knows what to say to make us feel good. Maybe Kadaj is a leader like Mother, Mother told us she lead her people across the cosmos to this Planet a very, very long time ago. But sometimes he seems so confused and angry.

He talks to himself a lot, either awake or asleep. He looks so frightened at times as if he sees something really horrible in front of him. Sometimes it gets so bad, he starts crying. I hate that. He tells me to stop crying, to stop being so stupid and trusting and weak... and yet when he starts crying in his sleep or yelling at some invisible someone... it's okay.

Yazoo told me he's talking to Sephiroth and Mother. Mother. I wonder why talking to Mother upsets him so. Perhaps he hasn't done enough to make her happy, or done it wrong. I really do think Yazoo would make a better leader. He never cries or talks to himself.

But Sephiroth? I am the only one out of my brothers who has never heard Sephiroth's voice. Yazoo said it is swift and cold like a torrent of icy rain on your face. Kadaj wouldn't say anything to me when I asked but just stared at me with a very nasty look on his face. I know I should be thankful by now that I have never heard Sephiroth, but yet I want to know. Maybe Sephiroth is the one that makes Kadaj act all crazy instead?

But Mother is coming! Even that will make Kadaj alright, he might even smile again. A proper smile. Not a smirk or a cold, dead smile. I know it makes me smile when I think about the day when Mother finally comes home. I saw her in my dreams once, saw her really! Not just a hint of her presence or her voice, but truly her. She was beautiful! She had long silvery hair and bright eyes. They were very strange to look at, they sparkled like distant stars but yet she could see me perfectly and she called me to her.

I don't remember anything beyond that but I can see her now, and I try to make that memory stronger each day. Oneday I know I'll no longer be living in a beautiful memory, but I will see her face with my own eyes instead.


	5. Yazoo

Title: Such Presumption

Rating: G

Category: Humour/Drama/Family

Summary: Yazoo spies a vista and sees another life beyond the one appointed to him, however, Sephiroth has something to say about this little gap of rebellion.

Author's Note: Sorry this took a bit longer. My inspiration was slow in coming up with this one. But today it coughed back into life... and here is the final chapter of 'Such Presumption'. Yazoo was a blank slate, and initially this was frustrating to work with... until I took the idea of a blank slate itself and ran away with it. Hope you enjoy this last chapter. Reviews much appreciated :)

-

Yazoo's a blank slate, but a blank slate with potential. He's the pretty boy model, the poster boy for the newest edition of 'Elite'. He's the ethereal angel luring children down the garden path. He's a swift and graceful weapon against foes. He's cold, clear-cut and knows what he's supposed to want. Yazoo prefers the mystery, if anyone ever knew the truth... it would be disappointing to say the least. Of the three, Yazoo is most aware of a certain status called 'Momma's boy', and unlike Kadaj who seems proud to tout such a title and Loz who couldn't care less... Yazoo secretly aspires to being something beyond another Momma's boy.

Of course, he loves Jenova. But between bouts of sashying down the street, winning children over with sweet promises, chasing after Big Brother and listening to Kadaj's most recent Sephiroth-inspired nightmare... Yazoo spies a vista. But he's always so busy, so he can only afford a short glimpse of the vista but the more he sees it, the more he wants. But he has to be careful, Mother's always watching and Kadaj doesn't appreciate less than 100 devotion to the cause. Dealing with Kadaj's tantrums is one thing, but the wrath of Mother? He has to watch his thoughts ever so carefully.

But on the odd occasion she's speaking to Loz or Kadaj, Yazoo lets his mind wander. What would it be like to saunter down to that pretty little cafe and grab a hot chocolate? Or to be that little girl whining to her a mother? Or the old man avidly chatting with his companions over a game of chess?

The world's like me, he decides, a blank slate with potential. But so much more potential than me. So much more freedom.

_It's not worth it_, a voice booms in his thoughts. Sephiroth!

Yazoo freezes, he should of expected him... constant companion of Mother in their private limbo. He chides himself for such clumsiness, he can only hope Sephiroth won't say anything to Mother.

Sephiroth chuckles then speaks again, _I lived in that world too. But there was no freedom. There was simply confusion and even pain. Until Mother. Appreciate Mother at least, Yazoo. She is your guiding light, our guiding light._

Yazoo doesn't know what to say... Sephiroth's word is supposed to be as good as Mother. He was the first, the greatest and likely to be most beloved. It's almost unnatural not to trust him. Yazoo knows little of Sephiroth's life before Mother, except it was like some sort of gold-gilded slavery and full of confusion. He knows he hasn't much to argue about if he has no material, no proof.

And Sephiroth seems to know this too, Yazoo can almost feel a gentle caress across his face. He speaks again, his voice becoming gentle, _Trust Mother, Yazoo, and forget the world, it's all lies and illusions. Humans are brilliant conjurors, but that's all they are... conjurors. There's no substance to their world or themselves and I know this from first-hand experience. Trust Mother, she is the only real thing in this gigantic illusion, Yazoo._

Yazoo starts to feels guilty, that sour feeling of wrongness running through him. How could he be so seduced?

_And I won't tell Mother, Yazoo._

Sephiroth's voice fades away, as does his general presence. At least, Yazoo has that despite his guilt. His secret slip-up is safe. Or maybe he deserves to be exposed, deserves to be exposed to the full wrath of Jenova. Perhaps the inferno of her anger would burn out any last remaining particles of curiosity, of weakness.

Perhaps even the vista itself is an illusion, just like the the sweet lolly promises he throws out to the children.


End file.
